State laws require the use of child restraints in automobiles. Seat belts and shoulder harnesses provided in the automobile are configured and arranged for young adults and adults, but do not work well with small children and infants. Infant carriers, infant seats and child booster seats are widely available for installation in automobiles to properly restrain infants and young children. A typical procedure for installing a child restraint includes fastening a vehicle seat belt through structure of the child restraint and connecting a tether strap from the top of the child seat to a tether strap anchor installed in the automobile.
The rapid growth of young children can result in a child outgrowing a child restraint in a relatively short period of time. The child may rapidly progress from an infant carrier to an infant seat and subsequently a child booster seat, requiring periodic removal of the old restraint designed for a smaller child and installation of a new, properly sized restraint. Further, in multiple car families one vehicle is often primarily used for transporting the children, and child restraints will be installed in it. However, on occasion it may be necessary to transport children in the other vehicles. Rather than having child restraints installed in both, the restraints are merely transferred from one vehicle to another.
Since the typical child restraints require the use of a tether strap as noted above, automobile manufacturers are known to provide tether strap anchors securely installed in appropriate locations in new automobiles. Alternatively, automobile owners may install the anchors in several automobiles so that the child restraints can be quickly transferred from one vehicle to another without having to move the anchor from one automobile to another. Anchors of this type also can be used for cargo nets and other devices provided as standard equipment or as optional accessories in automobiles.
A known design for a tether anchor strap anchor includes a frame having an edge formation to hold a loop secured therein. A bolt through the bracket secures the bracket to the automobile. The loop can be rotated from a position in which the outer portion of the loop lays substantially flat against the bracket to positions elevated from the bracket. A spring is operatively associated with the loop and frame to provide torque resistance to rotation of the loop so that it will stay in elevated positions more readily accessible for attachment of the tether strap.
Known tether strap anchors have deficiencies, including higher than desired costs to manufacture and assemble. Further, with the loop attached to the bracket at one edge, if sufficient force is applied against the loop by the tether strap at certain angles, the bracket can be pulled past the head of the bolt securing the bracket to the automobile.
What is needed in the art is a tether strap anchor that is inexpensive to manufacture and easy to assemble, with fewer parts than known designs, and that anchors securely in its installed position and remains sturdy during use.